Nocturne
Sensations of Night
- Released March 19, 2021
Inspiration
"Nocturne" was inspired by the poem "I Love Thee" by Eliza Acton (1799-1859). Although best known as a pioneering cookbook author in Victorian England, she also wrote expressive lyrical poetry: conjuring wistful and evocative imagery through uncomplicated means. On the surface her poem is a celebration of all things nocturnal and beautiful: starlight, the smell of jasmine, a lonely songbird heralding the close of day. What makes it particularly potent, however, is the undercurrent of intimacy that, because of the restraint expected of Victorian women, had to be deflected through metaphor. These intense longings are heightened by the poem's nocturnal setting, which transports us to the deepest hours of the night, when our passions are at their highest. "Nocturne" is thus a musical translation of her poem--an evocation of our heightened sense of romance in those evening hours.
Collaboration
"Nocturne" is a single released in collaboration with fellow Decca Gold artist Wei Luo. The solo piano piece was originally composed by Christopher in 2006, but never received a commercial recording or release until now. The piece was launched on World Sleep Day 2021--an annual event where various artists from the Decca family of labels comes together to release sleep-themed music.
Origins
"Nocturne" was originally composed for the 2006 independent film 'The Insatiable', directed by Cary Solomon and Chuck Konzelman and starring Sean Patrick Flanery, Michael Biehn, and Charlotte Ayanna. The piece plays twice in the film: first during a scene when Ayanna's character Tatiana recites the original Eliza Acton poem, and again over the closing credits.
I love thee, as I love the calm
Of sweet, star-lighted hours!
I love thee, as I love the balm
Of early jes'mine flow'rs.
I love thee, as I love the last
Rich smile of fading day,
Which lingereth, like the look we cast,
On rapture pass'd away.
- Eliza Acton
Tracklist
Nocturne (performed by Wei Luo)
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Music
Music
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